Force's largest child sex abuse case safeguarding report concealed

A safeguarding review into how 21 people were able to abuse seven children will not be made public.

The abuse ring - which included seven women - was convicted for offences against victims aged 12 years old or younger spanning nearly a decade in Walsall and Wolverhampton.

The Walsall Safeguarding Partnership said the report will not be published to protect the identities of victims.

Concerns came to light in 2014 after a hospital visit by one of the victims.

Three years later, another child told a carer about the extent of the abuse, prompting a six-year police investigation - which West Midlands Police said was the largest child sex abuse case in the force's history.

Thirteen of the defendants have been jailed with four to be sentenced at a later date and a further four have been given non-custodial sentences.

The case can only now be reported because a series of trials which began last year has ended.

The Walsall Safeguarding Partnership (WSP) is responsible for safeguarding vulnerable children and adults in the area. Its review into the case was carried out four years ago, it told the BBC.

The findings from the inquiry led directly to the WSP child sexual abuse strategy and shaped the training offered to frontline staff when encountering cases of this nature.

The strategy was being reviewed this year and any lessons from the court cases could form part of the view, the organisation stated.

It commended the "courage" of the children and young people in coming forward, and said many of those affected by the case continued to be supported by local agencies.

"They have provided stability, care and safe homes which has helped the children build trust and be able to confide in professionals," WSP's independent chair Sally Hodges said.

"Whilst we appreciate this matter maybe of public interest the partnership's overriding concern is for the children and young people that were involved in these horrific events."

She said an essential part of the partnership's work is to "learn lessons from its safeguarding activity".

Ms Hodges added: "There is no room for complacency but we have confidence in the professional practice to identify and respond to concerns or risk relating to sexual abuse.

"The safeguarding partnership will continue to support all agencies to review and strengthen multi-agency arrangements in order to protect children and young people across the borough."

A recent inspection in the area found children who needed help and protection in the borough received a coordinated and effective response, she added.

The police officers involved in the criminal investigation have been offered support due to its "horrendous nature".

"I have 32 years in police service, and quite a significant proportion of that working in child protection and certainly I have had large cases, but nothing of the scale and complexity of this case," said Det Ch Insp Joanne Floyd.

"The complexity and the horrendous nature of it spans so many different levels, not only in terms of the vulnerability of the children and how young they were."

Reflecting on the experience of officers involved in the investigation, she added: "No-one walks away from this unscathed.

"All of us have been affected, and there's no doubt about it, it's been a very traumatic case."

Twenty-two people were prosecuted during the three trials. They faced numerous charges including child sex abuse and child cruelty offences:

Tina Jones, 62, of Springfields, Rushall, was found not guilty by the court.

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